The selected teams—consisting of city leaders, developers, and design professionals—will join AAF’s national sustainable design team of experts for one of two intensive, three-day design charrettes in Washington, DC: May 21–23 and October 29–31.

Project teams compete to attend SCDA, which provides resources, education, and best practice support needed to make environmentally responsible design decisions. SCDA helps these teams to formulate action plans for their projects while providing the design leadership training and technical assistance needed to address the specific design challenges that they face in their cities. Since establishing SCDA in 2009, AAF has served 42 project teams in cities across the U.S.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN ARCHITECTURAL FOUNDATION
Established in 1943, the American Architectural Foundation (AAF) is a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. AAF works directly with civic leaders representing U.S. municipalities to address the design challenges and opportunities in their cities. Through Sustainable Cities Design Academy, the Mayors’ Institute on City Design[4], and Design for Learning[5], AAF serves as a national platform, information center, and collaborative hub for those leaders working on the ground in cities across the country to use the design of place as a means to improve lives and transform their communities.